James g



(No Model.)

J. G. SMITH 8: H. E. BUTLER.

COMBINED BLAGKBOARD AND DESK.

6 ill Patented Oct. 20, 1885..

la; I

0 FL I m a mg m d 4 fi e M0 7 0 j 9 M M r. fl

WITNESSES Miran STATES arstvr tries.

JAMES G. SMITH AND HIRAM E. BUTLER, OF JAMESTOYVN, NE\V YORK.

COMBlNED BLACKBOARD AND DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,727, dated October 20, 1885.

A ppliention filed May 22, 1855. Serial No. 166,344. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Janus G. SMITH and IIIRAM E. BUTLER, both residents of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Desk and Blackboard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention more particularly relates to combined desks and blackboards for use in schools and elsewhere, and in which a copy sheet, preferably ofa band description, carried by rollers, and adjustable to expose different "sets or heads of copy, is combined with the blackboard.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations ofparts, substantially as herein shown and described, and whereby the combined article when open may be used as a writing-desk and when closed as a blackboard, the said board forming also the table to the desk when open and front or door of the desk when closed. Furthermore, the portion carrying the copy-sheet is made to occupy or capable of adjustment into a forwardly-inclining position in an upward diree tion, so as to form an obtuse angle to the blackboard when closed, whereby the writing or delineations on the copy-sheet are brought within the focus of the eye of the person using the blackboard and desk.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a face view of the combined article; Fig. 2, a side or edge view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same on the line 00 in Fig. 1, with the copysheet frame or holder set inclining in relation with the blackboard, and Fig. 4 a face View of the combined article when open for use as a writing-desk.

A A are the side frame-pieces of the structure, and 13 its back, which latter may have key-notch apertures b b in it for hanging it upon nails or screws 0 0 against the wall or on an easel; or it may be stood upon an ordinary table or other stand, and when used as a blackboard it may be held upon the lap of aperson sitting, with its back resting against the table. Its back is provided on its face with shelves or partitions to form compartments (Z within the desk for various writing or marking articles or materials used in connection with the desk and blackboard.

O is the combined blackboard and desk table, pivoted below,as at e e, to the main frame, its outer surfaee,f, serving, when the board is closed, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, as the marking or drawing surface ofthe blackboard, and its o posite surface, g, when the board is thrown or let down, as shown in Fig. 4 and in part by dotted lines in Fig. 2, as the writing, 850., surface of the desk. \Vhen thrown up or closed, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the board C, which may be made of either wood or metal, as may also other parts of the structure, and which has or may have a side piece or strip, v, on opposite sides of it, serves as a lid or door to the desk, and it may be held closed either by a button, by a spring, h, 011 either side of it, bearing against the side pieces of the main frame, or by any other suitable fastenings.

At the base of the main frame is a receptacle, t, to catch the dust and small particles of chalk and crayon that may fall when the article is being used as ablackboard. lVhen the board 0 is closed,it may rest against a stop, It, on either side of the main frame, and when opened or thrown down for use as a desk, writing, &o., table, it may rest at the proper angle on steps or stops Z.

The whole structure, it will be seen, is composed, mainly, of two leading membersthat is, a back or desk-body portion and a blackboard portion, that serves as the table portion of the desk and lid or cover of the body part thereof. \Vhen closed it forms a flat, light, and convenient or portable structure suitable for manipulation or use under various circumstances and in different positions.

D is the copy-sheet, which is in the form of a flexible strip, having any number and description of copy-heads or copies upon it, and which is attached at its opposite ends to upper and lower rollers, m it, carried by a frame, E, consisting of side pieces, 0 0, united by a facepiece, 8, over which, by rotating one or other of the rollers, the copy-sheet is moved and exposed as required, as in other band copyshcets for the same purpose; but in the pres ent instance the frame E, carrying the copy sheet and its rollers, is fitted to rock upon or from its bottom roller-axis into a-forwardlyinclining position in an upward direction, so that the exposed copy-sheet will form an obtuse angle to the blackboard when closed, as shown in Fig. 8, whereby the writing or de lineations on the copy-sheet will be better seen by being brought within the focus of the eye of the person using the blackboard or desk. The frame E, carrying the adjustable copysheet, and which is fitted to rock on the side pieces, A A,o'f the main frame, may be arrested in its forward pitch by the lower ends of its sides striking the back of the desk, and when said frame E is set back again into line with the body of the desk, as shown in Fig. 2, for the convenience of stowing away or transporting the article, it may be locked, if desired, by a side pin, a, or otherwise.

l/Vhen the lid or cover is folded down at an inclination to the body, so as to present the inner face of the cover uppermost, then a desksurface for a person to write upon is formed, similar to that of the hinged front of a bookcase desk in use. The structure is then converted into a desk, and may be suspended from screws, nails, or hooks on the wall of a room, as described, so that a person can stand when engaged in writing, as in case of standingdesks generally; or it may be placed upon a persons lap with the back of the body resting against a table-edge; or it may be placed on a table with the flat under side of the re ceptacle t resting on the top of the table, and

the body A B in an upright position, and the hinged lid or cover in its folded-down position at an inclination to said body.

Having thus fully described our invention,

we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A combined desk and blackboard consisting of the vertical desk-body, the blackboard and desk-lid 0, hinged at its lower end to the sides of the body to close the desk and form a blackboard and writing-table, and a copy-holder pivoted between the upper ends of the sides of the desk,-body, and adapted to be inclined forwardly over the blackboard or held in the vertical plane of the desk-body, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the desk-body having compartments d within it, of the combined blackboard, Writingtable, and desk-lid G, pivoted below to the desk-body, and the rocking copy-sheet-carrying frame E, having sheet-carrying rollers m a, and capable of adjustment to occupy a straight or inclined position in relation with the blackboard when closed, essentially as described.

JAMES Gr. SMITH. HIRAM E. BUTLER.

\Vituesses to signature of James G. Smith:

E. P. BAILEY, GEO. S. GIFFoRD.

\Vitnesses to signature of Hiram E. Butler:

SYDNEY A. DUNHAM, J OHN J. VAN KLEEcK. 

